Wiring harness assemblies are often interconnected by electrical connectors having mating electrical terminals attached to each wire and the terminals are contained within cavities of mating connector bodies. Fretting corrosion of the terminals can result when the connectors are exposed to mechanical vibration due to the relative motion of the mated terminals with one another. Mechanical vibrations that can cause fretting corrosion may be experienced by electrical connectors used in automotive applications as well has aerospace or industrial machine applications.
Some electrical connectors have relied on a high contact force between the mated terminals to stabilize the terminals relative to each other in a vibratory environment. However, high contact forces between the terminals results in an undesirably high insertion force when mating the connectors. This high insertion force may exceed ergonomic guidelines for assembly operators connecting the electrical connectors and/or may require mating assist devices to be added to the electrical connector to decrease the force required to mate the electrical connector, adding undesirable cost to the electrical connector. Therefore, an electrical connector designed to minimize relative motion between mated terminals while avoiding increased contact force between the mated terminals is desired.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.